New rules not yet finalised, MBBS Aspirants worried over Delay in admissions

Mumbai:Medical aspirants who have cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) Examination are worried about the possible delay in the admission process as the National Medical Commission (NMC) has not yet finalised the MBBS admission process.

Mainly the students and parents are worried about the guidelines for centralised counselling are yet to be published. Further, there is no clarity regarding the passing criteria in the physics, chemistry and biology (PCB) group as well.

Concerned about the possible delay in the commencement of the admission process, the parents are demanding that the government proceed as per the rules and regulations, on an urgent basis.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that NMC had published the Graduate Medical Education Regulations, 2023 (GMER-23) in the official Gazette on June 02, 2023. These regulations were introduced by the Apex medical commission to introduce a new admission process for medical education.

According to these regulations, the Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) is supposed to publish guidelines for conducting counselling for MBBS admission process.

Also Read: NMC releases final Graduate Medical Education Regulations 2023, check out details

Section 14 of these guidelines mentioned about common counseling and specified that the "...UGMEB shall publish guidelines for the conduct of common counselling, and the designated authority under section 17 below shall conduct the common counselling in conformity with such published guidelines."

Referring to the submission of final list, the Guidelines clarified that "The respective designated authorities (who have conducted the common counselling) shall submit the final list of students in the prescribed proforma to the UGMEB within one (01) week of the completion of the common counselling, which in turn shall publish that list in the NMC website."

Commenting on these rules mentioned in the guidelines, the father of an MBBS aspirant, who cleared NEET UG this year, told Hindustan Times, "After completing 15 days of declaration of the NEET UG result, we are still waiting for further guidelines from the government. Due to the lack of clarity in the policy, time of the students is being wasted."

Meanwhile, the idea of a centralised counselling has been welcomed by an activist Sudha Shenoy. She told HT, “After Covid-19 pandemic, this is the first year when the NEET exams are conducted on time, and the results are also out on May 13. But now, because of this delay, students will suffer. We do not understand why all the policymakers are bringing changes to the policy at the eleventh hour. They had a whole year to do so. Every year, for some reason, there are delays in admission."

The Daily adds that the students are seeking clarity regarding the passing criteria in the physics, chemistry and biology (PCB) group as well. Referring to this, Shenoy mentioned, “As per the previous rule, students need to clear the NEET examination and should get a minimum of 50% marks in the PCB group to get admission in any medical college in the country. In recent regulations, the NMC announced relaxation in PCB marks, but until we receive final brochures, we do not know the final eligibility criteria.”

Meanwhile, sources informed the Daily that the central medical education department has asked all the State medical education secretaries for their opinion on the new policy.

Commenting on the process, the former director of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Pravin Shingare expressed concern about it and said, “This is not the right time to get an opinion from the state. The central government should announce the admission process as soon as possible and allow the state to go on with the admission for this year or give guidelines to the state for the process and implement new policy from the next academic year with the help of all stake holders.”

Also Read: Not Biology, Physics to be prioritised for NEET tie-breaker: NMC GMER 2023